The discussion was on outsourcing/sourcing, managing inside and managing outside; the relationship with clients and suppliers. What is culture and how does it come into the frame? How to manage the interface, who to manage, and listening or being listened to.

Damian and Paul first introduced themselves to the students and outlined their previous professional experience in different companies with very different cultures. Damian was responsible for the development of Symantec’s translation and localisation tools. That involved setting the strategy for localization on new platforms and sourcing or developing new tools for the delivery of localized products.

Concurrently, Paul Quigley was Director of translation tools at Oracle in Dublin. He was responsible for the delivery of Oracle translations — over 24 languages.

In 2001, they joined forces to create STAR Translation Services.

We provide website and document translation services into over 40 languages. They work in a global network of 40 offices employing about 800 staff from all over the world.

Working in such a global environment gives Damian and Paul day-to-day experience in outsourcing, insourcing and managing a global culture. They were happy to share their experiences and provide advice about the importance of communication in any global environment.

The interaction with the students was very interesting and they asked many questions about our real-life experiences.

Just some of the topics we discussed during the evening were …

the importance of clear communication

managing cultural diversity

funny problems as a result of bad communication

how to manage communication challenges

how to be sure you are heard, clearly and correctly

how to train new employees, and bring them into your culture

the challenges of mergers and acquisitions

We hope the event provided these future professionals with plenty of good advice and information that will help them start their professional careers with complete confidence.